The Fine Art Tradition of the Tibetian Mandala - Essay Example

Art History – Tibetian Mandalas The fine art tradition of the Tibetian Mandala spans back thousands ofyears as a central image of the Buddhist tradition. The teachings of the Buddha center around the desire to have every living being avoid suffering and instead find peace and happiness (Harper, 1985). Rather than present a single solution intended to fit the wide variety of needs, interests, personalities and abilities of these various beings, the Buddha promoted the concept of developing clarity of mind, purity of behavior and finding a correct view of reality. With a very basic code of ethics based on the idea of causing no harm to others while recognizing the interconnectedness of life, meditation emerged as a strong tool for finding focus and attaining balanced, well-thought-out decisions. This practice has been perfected in Tibet in the Kalachakra tradition and has been expanded into the Western world through the beautiful and fascinating art form of the mandala. The mandala has a basic circular form that causes it to be recognized as a mandala, but can be highly differentiated to reflect the beliefs, customs, practices or traditions of a particular individual or group. Its primary purpose is to facilitate meditation while serving as a reminder of the deity, the code of ethics and the impermanence of nature. Taking a look into the traditions of the mandala, therefore, can help facilitate greater understanding of more modern interpretations of this ancient art form. Traditionally, the mandala, also known as the dkyil khor, is considered to be the visual representation of the spiritual embodiment of Buddha. “The word dkyil khor means ‘center-circumference’ and describes both the essential geometric structure and ritual significance of mandalas” (George, 2000). Wayman (1980) indicates that the center is the essence of Buddha while the circumference refers to the concept of grasping, enclosing or containing, thus understanding the essence. Through this translation, the necessarily circular form of the mandala as well as the association of it with the ideas of spirituality and enlightenment becomes clear even as the art form has been transferred out of its original context in the Buddhist temples and in the care of the monks and into the larger mainstream Western society. Because these concepts are intrinsic to the art form, they have necessary transferred out as well. Within Western dictionaries and encyclopedias, the term mandala has been broadly defined as a “geometric design intended to symbolize the universe, and reference is made to their use in Buddhist and Hindu practices” (Kumar, 2007). This spiritual essence of the art form has had a profound affect on modern artists as will be examined shortly. Traditionally, the starting point of a mandala is a dot to be placed at the center. “It is a symbol free of dimensions. It means a ‘seed’, ‘sperm’, ‘drop’, the salient starting point. It is the gathering center in which the outside energies are drawn, and in the act of drawing out the forces, the devotee’s own energies unfold and are also drawn” (Kumar, 2007). From this starting dot, the outward circle takes shape, breaking down the boundaries between the subject and the object and becoming associated with a deity. Surrounding this circle, traditional mandalas incorporate an outer square, representing the four directions that confine the physical world. For the practice of the monks, mandalas involve extensive training, elaborate systems of symbolism and specific practices to be observed during the creation. The creation itself is seen as a form of worship. In keeping with the origin of the art form, the mandalas created by monks are strongly illustrative examples of the teachings of the Buddha and all images are focused upon the center. The center typically contains the deity to whom the mandala is consecrated which traditionally takes one of three forms. These are peaceful deities focused on spiritual experience, wisdom or courage and strength in the pursuit of sacred knowledge; wrathful deities who take on inner afflictions that block passage to enlightenment; and sexual imagery that strives to accept the inner oppositions and achieve a sense of interconnectedness with all things. Color also plays an important role in the traditional mandala as each color is associated with one of the five delusions of human nature: white – the delusion of ignorance becomes the wisdom of reality, yellow – the delusion of pride becomes the wisdom of sameness, red – the delusion of attachment becomes the wisdom of discernment, green – the delusion of jealousy becomes the wisdom of accomplishment, and dark blue – the delusion of anger become the mirror like wisdom (Kumar, 2007). Finally, a traditional mandala is frequently made with colored sand, to emphasize the impermanence of physical reality and the transience of nature. Modern mandalas are not so strictly connected with the Buddhist tradition, although they do continue to contain some of the essential elements. This mandala for example, entitled “Kestrel Mandala” (2000), features the concept of a central point toward which all other elements are focused. Artist Komra Moriko has manipulated a digital photograph of a kestrel falcon resting in a tree into this stunning image that seems to depict six different falcons pointing in toward a central space. While the work is primarily digital, Moriko expressed her goal of printing this image, along with several others, as large as 30 inches square to take on tour with her and highlight the interconnectedness of humans with the earth from which they came. The feathery appearance of the work helps to bring to mind the spirituality of the art form as it reminds viewers of things to do with the sky and airy things while the grey starburst of the central area serves to further illustrate the concept of deity and enlightenment from a Western viewpoint. Unlike the traditional mandala, however, the Kestrel Mandala was not thought out thoroughly beforehand nor was it hand drawn before being pulled into the computer. Moriko indicates that she took a digital photograph of a kestrel falcon resting on a tree branch (providing the original image as a reference) and sliced a pie-shaped section from the original image. Digitally mirroring and rotating this pie-shaped slice of image to line it up directly with one of the flat planes of the first slice, Moriko then copied, pasted and rotated enough further images to create a completed circle. Although the image did not start from the traditional central dot, Moriko’s image nevertheless gives that impression as the complicated series of diagonals naturally and symmetrically organizes itself into chevrons and starbursts with an almost perfect central series of circles. While a large portion of the image can be said to have occurred as the result of serendipity, Moriko’s original pie-slice selection eliminates much of the brighter tones of the original image and allows the completed work to be dominated by natural blacks, browns and grays with the occasional white detail bringing forth energy and direction throughout the piece. While the predominant pattern points inward toward the central circle, highlighting the concept of the essence, smaller and less well-defined areas have a tendency to point outward, helping to illustrate the grasping aspect of the circumference. Another artist of the modern Western world working with mandalas is Sophia Andras. In “Emerging” (2007), she attempts to illustrate the freedom and expressiveness she found in this art form as it gave her the means of accessing her inner joy. This 25 x 25” image is created with acrylic paints on canvas and utilizes crystals and beads as a means of highlighting those areas of the painting that Andras wanted to bring attention to, namely the outward-directing points of the Arabic-styled arrows of the outer circumference as well as these same outward-directing points of the inner geometric configuration. Like Moriko’s work and the traditional mandala, Andras allows her painting to flow from a central spot and work its way outward. In many respects, she remains closer to the traditional concepts with her use of concentric circles within the work as well as the surrounding square field behind the circular form. Unlike the traditional format, though, she emphasizes the outward movement, both in the growing grid coming off the top of the central spiral as well as in the emphasis made with the crystal placements. While the work is primarily symmetrical, the innermost spiral introduces a slightly off-center context as the grid begins growing out of the top of the spiral activity but not the bottom. A single arm of this spiral is given a contrasting color from the outward circles and is elaborately decorated with beads in comparison with the plainer legs of the spiral elsewhere. This seemingly off-balanced arm highlights the top arms as being shorter while it remains balanced by the two darker blue and longer arms toward the bottom right of the spiral. Created with various shades of blues and pinks, this image serves to establish an immediate connection with the sky at a period of transition with leanings toward the dawn with its purity of color and absence of oranges and reds. The mid-blue field upon which the circular portion of the mandala is set, with the ring of white preventing it from blending into this field, helps to emphasize the concept of space and limitless dimension. The energetic diagonal intersecting lines of the piece keep the eye constantly traveling while the carefully placed beads and crystals keep the focus on a continuous growth and blossoming. Although the form has been modified with its introduction into the modern Western traditions, the concept of the mandala seems to be so intrinsic as to defy any attempts at separation. Regardless of whether the focus is on an inward-seeking meditation on the interconnectedness of nature and man as is demonstrated in the work of Moriko or on the outward-expanding celebration of the individual becoming one with the greater universe as in the Andras’ work, the mandala continues to serve as a connection point between the individual and the deity. Its various forms, whether transitory or more lasting, continue to encourage deeper thought, moving energy and greater harmony and artists regardless of their medium continue to find inspiration and encouragement in exploring the form in all its glory. Works Cited Andras, Sophia. “Emerging” [image] (2007). Mandalas for All Ages. April 22, 2007 George, Patrick A. “Mandala: Buddhist Tantric Diagrams.” Scaffold Architectural Project. (2000). University of Pennsylvania. April 22, 2007 Harper, Barry Bryant. “The Kalachakra Tantra.” Wheels of Time: Sand Mandala. New York: Collins Publishers, 1985. Kumar, Nitin. “The Mandala – Sacred Geometry and Art.” Exotic India Art. (September 2000). April 22, 2007 Moriko, Komra. “Kestrel Mandala.” [image] (2000). Earth Mandalas. April 22, 2007 Wayman, Alex. Introduction to the Buddhist Tantric System. Red Wheel Weiser, 2000. Read More